In the major bookshops one can sometimes find a guide that ONLY has the Kruger birds, but it is scarce, so I would recommend two Southern Africa bird books. The SASOL one, and the one by Oberpreiler and Cillie.

Whatever (according to BB): "You are correct but I don't want to admit it".

We find the Roberts Field Guide for Kruger to be very useful and I'm fairly sure we've seen it in the shops in Kruger, both in English and Afrikaans.

If unavailable then if you are new to birding in SA then I suggest buying a Honeyguide map book and a SASOL Third Edition. At the back of the map book you will find some pages of the commonest birds you will see in Kruger. Use this to identify the bird then look it up in the guide for confirmation and more info. It's what we did before we got the Roberts.

Oh and there are discussions about the various birding guides in the Recommended Reading forum over here.

Hope you have a great trip.

Want to say Thank You or Well Done to a fellow 'mite? Why not nominate them for a Kudu?

I do have both the Roberts Bird Guide for Kruger and the Roberts Bird Guide for Southern Africa and can recommend both. I like them for two reason:1. they contain the birds names in many different languages2. they have a strong cover which protects the books better than a normal hard cover against usage, dirt etc.

If you are going to Kruger only then i would recommend the Kruger issue. It limits the number of birds to the lowveld region and makes it easier to find a species you are looking for.

http://www.mywildlifephotos.de - Oktober 2011: new photos from my trip to Kenya and the Serengeti.

AdP, I agree with saraf, the Roberts Bird Guide for Kruger is widely available in all bookshops (sorry BB, but I've seen some just yesterday in Exclusive Books and Bargain Books). Kalahari.net also has it on special for R150. ISBN:9781770096387 , Hornbill on the cover.

Very useful in my view and way easier to id birds in Kruger this way, because it automically reduces the available options (SASOL, etc.) by 50%. The only slight drawback is that it contains drawings, not photos. (We generally prefer the latter), but the drawings are excellent.

Obelix wrote:The only slight drawback is that it contains drawings, not photos. (We generally prefer the latter), but the drawings are excellent.

I find drawings easier to be honest. With drawings you can exaggerate colour or other identifying marks, which especially for LBJ's (little brown jobs) easier.Roberts online has both, but unfortunately they don't have really good samples for visitors. All the birds that you can see are easily identified. But in this sample you can see that the drawing has more red at vent and belly than the photo. So when you see a pipit or such your chance of correctly IDing them becomes a bit larger.

Not posting much here anymore, but the photo's you can follow here There is plenty there.

Feel free to use any of these additional letters to correct the spelling of words found in the above post: a-e-t-n-d-i-o-s-m-l-u-y-h-c

I have tried several guides, and personally have found that the SASOL Birds of Southern Africa to be my favourite. It is illustrations, rather than photos, which I prefer for reasons that have already been given above.

Another little book that I have found very helpful is the SASOL Checklist of Birds in Southern Africa which cost me ZAR 25.00 - as much as anything this has a quick reference at the back for the many birds in Southern Africa that have undergone a change of name in recent years. This has proven very useful where someone has helpfully identified an LBJ for me in the field that I have then failed to find in my field guide later on.

[quote="Obelix"]AdP, I agree with saraf, the Roberts Bird Guide for Kruger is widely available in all bookshops (sorry BB, but I've seen some just yesterday in Exclusive Books and Bargain Books). Kalahari.net also has it on special for R150. ISBN:9781770096387 , Hornbill on the cover.

The Roberts Bird Guide for Kruger, with the Southern Ground Hornbill on the cover selling at CNA for only R49.95 on special. I bought one yesterday.